However, Furnish has now responded to the widespread reaction to his comments, insisting that his criticism was born out of "passion" for John's nominated song.

"Wow! What a tempest in a teapot. My comments regarding The Golden Globes have been blown way out of proportion," he wrote on his Facebook page. "My passion for our film Gnomeo & Juliet and belief in Elton's song really got my emotional juices going."

He added: "But I must say for the record that I do believe Madonna is a great artist, and that Elton and I wish her all the best for next week's premiere of the film W.E."